A PLEA that the key villages of the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area must not be forgotten has been made by a prominent local councillor.

Ballingry based Mary Lockhart told Cowdenbeath Area Committee that while the successful transformation of Lochgelly had won a national prize and hundreds of thousands of pounds were about to be spent in Cowdenbeath, which was to be welcomed, that it was important that Kelty, Benarty and Cardenden was not forgotten.

Ms Lockhart made her point after town centre development unit officer, Andrew Walker, had told councillors that the SUSTRANS project to upgrade the central area of Cowdenbeath would get fully underway in the new year.

It would follow up Lochgelly being chosen as Scotland's most improved town in 2016 and he was hopeful that the people of Cowdenbeath would play their full part in helping see the project successfully develop.

But Councillor Lockhart said: "I fully value the work that made Lochgelly win the SURF Award this time last year and the plans to upgrade the central part of Cowdenbeath but I just hope that the likes of Kelty, Ballingry, Lochore, Crosshill and Cardenden are not now put on the back burner.

"These villages have excellent shopping facilities which serve their growing communities well but like the two big towns have needed, there are areas in the likes of Kelty, Cardenden and Benarty that could do with some investment to enhance the ambience.

"If everything is being concentrated on the two towns our villages could be forgotten and that would not be right."

She added: "Each of the villages has outstanding community spirit and they deserve to see investment to make things that much better."

Councillor Ally Bain said: "Our villages have seen investment in facilities, such as through our Skatepark Programme, but certainly it is something that has to be borne in mind."